Diddlywhacker

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small spinning toy or ornament that turns in the wind ; a gadget or device whose proper name someone cannot recall ; informal slang for a penis
2. A whirling wind-driven ornament ; a thingamajig used when the correct name of an object escapes the speaker ; a crude slang term for the male sexual organ
3. A toy that spins with the breeze ; a generic term for any object one cannot name at the moment ; vulgar slang referring to the male genitals

Etymology: Diddlywhacker is American slang for a gadget or thingamajig whose proper name has slipped your mind. It is also used, more bawdily, for the male genitals. The word sounds like a made-up tool, and its parts are two older English words with comic overtones. "Diddle" means to trifle or to cheat, and "whack" means to strike with a sharp blow. The ending "-er" turns the combination into a noun for an instrument, as in "hammer" or "whisk," so the word reads like a contraption for hitting or fiddling. The exact route by which these two bases combined is not firmly documented, so this breakdown explains the parts without establishing a confirmed history.

Synonyms: thingamajig, doohickey